Support Element With Through Bores for Optical Waveguides
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optical waveguide systems face issues with beam spreading, signal attenuation, and complex adjustments due to the use of glass plates and lens systems in multiplexer-demultiplexer devices, which lead to reduced intensity and accuracy in wavelength channel separation.
Innovation Solution
A support element with parallel supporting surfaces and through bores allows wave-modifying elements to be positioned without passing through the material, eliminating beam spreading and signal attenuation, and using a deformable material for passive adjustment simplifies alignment without the need for precise adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If wave-modifying elements are mounted on both sides of a glass plate, then the device structure is established, but signal attenuation occurs in the glass and reflection phenomena appear at the interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the wave-modifying elements from the glass plate structure and mounts them on a support element with openings. This removes the harmful interaction between the glass plate and optical signals, eliminating signal attenuation and reflection phenomena while maintaining the functional device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The support element with openings acts as an intermediary structure between the wave-modifying elements and the optical path. This mediator allows light to pass through openings rather than through glass, eliminating the harmful effects of glass while providing a stable mounting structure.
2Device complexity
If a glass plate is used to mount wave-modifying elements, then the mounting structure is provided, but it is not possible to insert a further wave-modifying element between two wave-modifying elements mounted on opposite sides
Solution Approach 1:
The support element is segmented with multiple openings that allow independent access to different mounting positions. This segmentation enables the insertion of additional wave-modifying elements between existing ones, providing modular flexibility while maintaining a simple mounting structure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If lens systems are used to collimate light, then beam spreading is compensated, but the devices are expensive and require very accurate adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the collimation function from complex lens systems and implements it through the geometric configuration of the support element with openings. This simplified approach compensates for beam spreading without requiring expensive lenses or very accurate adjustment mechanisms.
4Ease of manufacture
If parallel surfaces of the glass plate are not entirely in plane-parallel relationship, then mounting is simplified, but expensive re-adjustment of individual filters is necessary
Solution Approach 1:
The support element with openings serves as an intermediary mounting structure that decouples the mounting simplicity from the requirement for precise surface parallelism. The openings provide reference surfaces for accurate element positioning without requiring the entire support element to have precisely parallel surfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a support element (1), for mounting at least two wave-modifying elements, with support of services, arranged parallel to each other. According to the invention, support element for mounting at least two wave-modifying elements and corresponding production method maybe achieved, whereby the support surfaces each have at least one opening and the openings are connected to each other by means of at least one through drilling.